Page 102 of Twisted Obsession

‘You could kill us,’ he implored.

‘Down.’

‘This is AE4719, requesting back up for an emergency landing.’ I could hear the fear in his voice.

Looking through the cockpit window, I could see the runway shrinking in length. I understood we possibly had one more attempt at landing the small aircraft we were in. But while that was horrifying, the fact I could also see the sea, and knowing how close I should be to her, was satisfying at the same time.

A crackle came back over the radio, in response.

‘Do it now,’ I insisted, pushing the gun home once again.

‘On two,’ the pilot instructed his second in command. ‘You need to sit down,’ he instructed me.

Satisfied he was doing my bidding, I holstered my gun and wedged myself behind his seat. With the tarmac decreasing rapidly, I curled myself up, placed my head against my knees and once again braced myself for landing.

We touched the ground, and I began to count, knowing we needed to have rubber on the ground within maybe three more seconds.

Once, and then twice, the wheels lifted away and touched down again. Each time, I held my breath and focussed my eyes on the ground and wished. At last, they contacted with the ground and stayed. The wind became the secondary noise to the sound of the tyres screeching as they found enough purchase to stop. I could feel the force of the wind was veering the aircraft off to the left. Standing quickly, I looked out of the window. In slowmotion, I saw as the tress behind the fencing at the end of the runway came ever nearer.

‘Pull right… RIGHT,’ the pilot instructed.

The plane veered right, ran onto the grass and eventually came to a shuddering standstill.

‘Thank you, gentlemen.’ I didn’t stop. ‘Marco, we’re moving.’

‘Boss.’ His acknowledgment found me as I released the door and jumped to the grass below.

‘Fight to survive, Giovanna. I’m coming, amore mio.’ My words were carried away on the wind as I ran to the awaiting car.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Giovanna

The thunder rolled around directly above us. Growling and grumbling as its forks of lightening discharged through the black clouds above us. But I knew I preferred that to the sounds of the gunshots and violence that had recently ripped through the luxury boat. We’d been travelling in blissful ignorance of what was about to unfold around us.

Now, it seemed the storm had deliberately chosen Sicily to become its target. Because what had seemed to be a fast-moving storm when we were out at sea, had almost ground to a halt over the island we had finally managed to dock at.

As far as I understood, me, my mama and her two bodyguards were the only ones still alive. They’d taken care of everyone else.

Once again, the rain started, discharging large droplets all around us. In a matter of minutes, it had begun to soak through my clothes, to my skin. As I involuntarily shivered, I cursed my body’s reaction, not wanting to appear weak and scared in front of her. Normally, I enjoyed the cathartic release but not at that moment.

As a hand once again pushed in between my shoulder blades, I fell painfully down onto the ancient looking quay.Understanding that being on my hands and knees meant my concealed weapon may become noticeable to them, I jumped back up as fast as I could, and rubbing the graze on my hand the fall had caused, I turned back to face my mama and her henchmen.

‘Start walking,’ she instructed, raising her voice above the strength of the wind and holding a gun pointing in my direction. I moved forward without argument.

‘Are we going into Syracuse?’ I knew the cove we’d managed to moor in was slightly north of the place we’d been aiming for.

Receiving no reply, I tried another tactic.

‘Is Peter dead?’ I decided to play the gullible and pliable daughter she thought I was. I knew Peter was dead. I’d seen the minute either her or one of her bodyguards had entered the saloon and had wordlessly blown his brains out of the back of his head. I’d felt as his cerebral matter had attached itself to the hairs on my bare forearm. Then, as I had frantically brushed at the repulsive substance, I’d forced myself to swallow down the sick that had risen to the back of my throat. They’d waited, while I lay gagging on the floor from my own bile, as the captain and his crew expertly brought us in as close to shore as they dared, before shooting through the soundproof glass and killing them all.

‘Yes. Now walk.’

I placed one tentative foot in front of the other, and tried hard not to focus on the power of the sea rushing underneath the planks of rotten wood that we were walking across.

‘But he’s your husband,’ I carried on.

‘Giovanna, you have always been a disappointment to me.’ I looked ahead, surprisingly still feeling pain from her attack. ‘But I never understood you to be stupid.’

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